The countdown to new UK IPO fees
The new UK Intellectual Property Office (UK IPO) fee structure has received parliamentary approval and will come into force on 1st April 2026 - the first fee increase for trade marks this century.
The changes, which cover trade marks, designs and patents, will represent the first fee increase for trade marks since 1998.
The fees received parliamentary approval via Statutory Instrument - the Intellectual Property Fees (Miscellaneous Amendments, Revocation and Transitional Provisions) Rules 2026 (SI 2026/183), laid before Parliament on 2nd March 2026.
What you need to know
Fees will continue to be charged at the current rate up to and including 31st March 2026. From 1st April 2026, the new fees will apply.
Click here to read the UK IPO's full guidance
The key transition points practitioners need to be aware of are:
- Applications: Applications submitted on or after 1st April 2026 will generally be subject to the new fees. Using the 'save for later' or 'draft' function does not count as submission.
- Renewals: Trade marks and registered designs with a renewal due date up to and including 30th September can be renewed in advance before 1st April 2026 and pay the existing fee.
- Incorrect payments: The UK IPO has warned that if only part of a fee is paid, the relevant form or request will not be treated as submitted until the remainder is paid and if the remainder is not paid in time, a deadline may be missed.
Trade mark fee changes
Online trade mark application fees will rise from £170 to £205, with paper applications increasing from £200 to £250. Renewal fees will increase from £200 to £245, and opposition fees will rise across all categories — from £100 to £125 for Section 5(1) or 5(2) oppositions, and from £200 to £250 for other grounds. Invalidation and revocation application fees will both increase from £200 to £250.
Design fee changes
Online fees for a single registered design will rise from £50 to £60. Multiple design applications will see tier increases across all categories, ranging up to £185 for up to 50 designs. Design renewal fees will increase across all four renewal periods, and invalidation application fees will rise from £48 to £60.
Service down time
In order to make these changes, a number of UK IPO web pages will be unavailable from 6pm on Tuesday 31st March until 12pm on Wednesday 1st April.
• From 6pm - all trade mark and designs fee-bearing forms
• From 10pm - all digital renewals services, IPO manage and secure services.
Prepare now
With the implementation date approaching, we encourage members to review the UK IPO's published guidance carefully, particularly around the transition scenarios for applications and renewals due around 1st April 2026.
| Trade marks | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Service | Current fee | New fee (from April 2026) | Increase |
| Application (online) | £170 | £205 | £35 |
| Application (paper) | £200 | £250 | £50 |
| Each additional class | £50 | £60 | £10 |
| Series fee | £50 | £60 | £10 |
| 10-year renewal | £200 | £245 | £45 |
| Renewal additional class | £50 | £60 | £10 |
| Late renewal | £50 | £60 | £10 |
| Restore and renew | £100 | £125 | £25 |
| Opposition (Section 5(1)/5(2) only) | £100 | £125 | £25 |
| Opposition (other grounds) | £200 | £250 | £50 |
| Fast track opposition | £100 | £125 | £25 |
| Add grounds to opposition | £100 | £125 | £25 |
| Invalidation proceedings | £200 | £250 | £50 |
| Revocation (non-use) | £200 | £250 | £50 |
| Revocation (other reasons) | £200 | £250 | £50 |
| Record change of ownership | £50 | £60 | £10 |
| Record licensee | £50 | £60 | £10 |
| Certification/collective mark regulations | £200 | £250 | £50 |
| Registered designs | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Service | Current fee | New fee (from April 2026) | Increase |
| Single design (online) | £50 | £60 | £10 |
| Single design (paper) | £60 | £75 | £15 |
| Up to 10 designs (online) | £70 | £85 | £15 |
| Up to 20 designs (online) | £90 | £110 | £20 |
| Up to 30 designs (online) | £110 | £135 | £25 |
| Up to 40 designs (online) | £130 | £160 | £30 |
| Up to 50 designs (online) | £150 | £185 | £35 |
| Each additional design (paper) | £40 | £50 | £10 |
| First renewal | £70 | £85 | £15 |
| Second renewal | £90 | £110 | £20 |
| Third renewal | £110 | £135 | £25 |
| Fourth renewal | £140 | £170 | £30 |
| Late renewal (month 6) | £120 | £150 | £30 |
| Restore registration | £120 | £150 | £30 |
| Invalidation application | £48 | £60 | £12 |